DCU’s New Contracts, Weezy Out, Kingsbury News, Soccer Don Succession, and more: Thursday Freedom Kicks
Happy Thursday everyone and happy NWSL Kit Drop Day. The Spirit and the other 15 teams will release their new uniforms for this year later this morning. I am looking forward to seeing what the Spirit do and debating with random people online what did and did not work across the league. Until then, here are the headlines.
D.C. United Signs Goalkeeper Grant Leveille to a Homegrown Contract (DC United)
What has been rumored for a little bit is now fact, as Leveille signs a Homegrown Contract with DCU. He is the first Homegrown goalkeeper for the club since their original Homegrown signing, Bill Hamid. That is a tough legacy to follow, but if Leveille can accomplish just a portion of what Hamid did, he will be on the upper end of goalkeepers for DCU since Hamid’s departure.
Yesterday was a busy day for the Black and Red. Leveille was not the only player the club reached contract terms with.
Nealis extends his time with DCU shortly after making his team debut in a cameo appearance in the waning moments of Saturday’s 1-0 victory over the Union.
Rough news for Weezy. She seems to have made impression on Emma Hayes, getting her third consecutive call up to the USWNT. Unfortunately, she is out of the SheBElieves Cup with an injury. On the positive side, Wiesner’s knock is describe as only a “minor calf issue”, so hopefully it will not be troubling her when the Spirit season opens in two weeks. For the USWNT, the ability to bring in a player of similar skill speaks to the tremendous depth of the player pool.
This wonderful news. Congrats to Aubrey and Matt.
Gainbridge Super League Power Rankings – Week 20 (Gainbridge Super League)
DC Power FC didn’t play last week, but jumped to 4th in the GSL Power Rankings. DC owns the longest active unbeaten streak in the league at four games and returns to action next weekend against Brooklyn.
Looks like Loudoun will release a new kit for the season this up coming weekend.
Atlanta is still two full seasons away from their initial kickoff, but they have already secured what is described as “the largest (jersey sponsorship) deal in all of women’s sports.” There are a few interesting implications of this deal for the NWSL in general and the Spirit specifically. First, the terms of the deal breakdown to $4 million a year, which is greater than the NWSL salary cap for the 2026 season (without HIP). Deals like this one bring the discussion of the league’s ability to raise the cap back into focus. Secondly, the size of the deal could potentially be eclipsed because Denver still seeking a jersey sponsor. Even if the deal is not surpassed in the short term, the Spirit’s deal with CVS Health ends at the same time as Atlanta enters the league, creating the possibility the team could sign an equally lucrative sponsorship deal.
MLS hires firm to assist in Don Garber succession plan (ESPN)
MLS is starting to plan for life after the Soccer Don. When his departure will occur is still unclear, but the league is starting to look at what comes next. Will they go with an in house candidate, someone from another domestic league, or someone with experience in soccer from abroad? Its going to be interesting to watch.
OneFootball to show MLS NEXT Pro matches in 2026 (Yahoo Sports)
The Germany-based OneFootball will broadcast MLS Next Pro matches for free starting tomorrow.
Exclusive: US broker touts huge returns for FIFA World Cup ticket investors (Reuters)
I thought we had reached critical mass on stories about the different approaches people are taking to grift off of the up coming World Cup. I was clearly wrong. ::facepalm::
Watch Atalanta complete a wild Champions League comeback vs. Borussia Dortmund (USA Today)
Absolutely insane finish in the Atalanta and Dortmund. With the game tied on aggregate and extra time looming, Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini kicked Nikola Krstović in the head while attempting to clear a cross into the box, drawing a second yellow for Bensebaini , a sending off, and a penalty for Atalanta. Lazar Samardžić scored the penalty sending Atalanta through to the UCL Round of 16 where they will face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal.
Arsenal star: Strike action not “off the table” over schedule (Yahoo Sports)
Warning signs concerning increasing match congestion, lack of rest, and mounting injuries are starting to flash red.
I’ll end with this.
FIFA confirm Scotland fans can wear sporrans at World Cup matches (ESPN)
This was not a problem I was tracking on. Generally, I am not a fan of the bag rules at stadiums for a variety of reasons. I’m glad exceptions are being made for The Tartan Army.
What did I miss?
Congrats to Kingsbury. My guess is that Kingsbury will effectively be out for the season. She’s due in July so that would mean she’s somewhere around 3 months at this point. Given the contact that GKs face, just the diving in warmups…just doesn’t seem wise to suit-up this season, even for preseason workouts. And now, why the Spirit had so many GKs on the roster, why the rookie they loaned to the Power wasn’t for the full season, why they didn’t free up an international spot by moving McIver–all of that makes sense.
And speaking of pregnancies (and Moms), I assume that Casey Krueger is back? She’s listed on the roster but no word about her since she left for maternity leave last year. Any word on when Ashley Hatch is expected back? And I know Andi Sullivan started practicing with the team last year.
I don’t think we have confirmation whether Casey has had her baby yet, so I don’t necessarily expect to see her back this year. Hatch had her baby in January and does not seem to have joined the team for training yet.
As you note, Andi has been back in training for some time, and I would expect her to be playing early this season, absent any issues in her rehab.
Thanks for the update. I know Casey had her second baby in December (IG announcement by the Spirit). So I think it’s a question of how long she intends to be out and even career plans. If she isn’t planning on taking a long maternity leave, she could be back mid-season if not sooner. But again, that’s up to her and what she sees her future being. I’d think that the signing of the second Italian (I’m going to make no attempt to spell her name) implies the Spirit see her out for a while or possibly all year.
Very impressive minute that Sean Nealis played. Congratulations to him!
This means that DC now has Bartlett, Nealis, and Markovic lined up through at least 2027. Rowles is out of contract after this year, but has an option. I think there’s a good chance that option might not be picked up, but we’ll see how this season goes.
Weiler seems to like him, so unless Nealis/Markovic really knock it out of the park when they play, he might get an extension too. At least til the end of the first season in the new calendar.
Rowles might be waiting until after the World Cup. If he’s on the team and performs well, he could get a good offer elsewhere.
Canadian Premier League is set to trial Arsen Wegner’s proposed “daylight” offside rule for its upcoming 2026 season.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7069342/2026/02/26/arsene-wenger-offside-rule-canada-premier-league/
The Tartan Army has been wearing sporrans to matches for decades. This was a easy and proper move for FIFA.
I just read the article from Reuters about TicketKings and it’s truly disgusting. Unfettered capitalism at its worst that infuriates fans and only benefits “investors”
Capitalism is the worst economic system ever devised by human beings. Except for all of the others.
The quote is actually about democracy.
Capitalism is what happens when people stop watching Wall Street after Michael Douglas’ “Greed is good” speech, cuz it confirms their priors, was a charismatic performance, and in no way is refuted both by the movie and everyone’s lived experiences.
The idea that unregulated business practices will lead to best outcomes, that competitive self interest is naturally going to balance out, ignores the fact that most people are not and don’t want to be capitalists. Most people want a steady, decent job, some downtime at home, and a family life, maybe some occasional travel.
We’re nowhere near that anymore.
Support democracy, and regulation, cuz we’re seeing what happens without it.
May I recommend Ren’s Money Game Trilogy. I think you would enjoy it. Ren is an amazing artist with a lot to say, not afraid to say it and with tons of talent.
Austin signed Christian Ramirez off of waivers, after the Galaxy placed him there. I wouldn’t have minded seeing him on DC, although it seemed like a real long shot for him to end up here. DC signed three strikers in the offseason after all, and waived Dominique Badji, whose role Ramirez would have filled.
Anyway, let’s hope that he doesn’t celebrate joining his new team by scoring right away on Saturday.